<p>OK guys, I definitely feel like an intruder on this board, but if you could bear with me while I explain myself, any input into my question would be MUCH appreciated : )</p>
<p>[After moderator edit:] </p>
<p>So should my dad take a job offer in Alabama or one in the northeast to fit his goal of helping me in my college plans?</p>
<p>Geographical diversity would not count in your case in terms of whether it’s easier to get in from one “geographical” sub-committee from another, since it is grouped by where you went to high school. Exeter, as you know, has at least 100 applicants to Harvard every year.</p>
<p>Nope, I would not worry about moving to Alabama. He should do what is best for him. You’re at a good place right now at one of the top high schools in America. </p>
<p>Nope, it will not “improve your chances” for working at BIDMC. That wouldn’t be fair to those students of parents who DON’T work there. However, if you are genuinely interested in lab research, why not work there? It will show that you pursued something that you’re genuinely interested in.</p>
<p>If you were going to be living in Alabama and going to school in Alabama, that would make you geographically desirable, but Exeter already makes you desirable. Would you yourself stay at Exeter or switch to a new school in Alabama?</p>
<p>I don’t know whether children of people with a harvard.edu in their email addresses are favored. If they are, I don’t think it would be by much.</p>
<p>xjayz - I already do work there : )
And yeah, I definitely agree with the whole “he should do what’s best for him” but despite everything I say, he’s still factoring in my future education at x University into his decision.</p>
<p>MM2K - I’d be staying at Exeter.</p>
<p>Thanks guys!</p>
<p>Let me preface this by saying that your dad should not make his decision based on how it will affect your college chances. The effects are very marginal. That said, it’s better to be applying from Alabama than Massachusetts to the extent that colleges practice geographic affirmative action. But going to Exeter probably offsets any sort of advantage it would give you. What I mean by this is that colleges will probably think that Exeter has washed all of the geographic diversity out of you. I doubt that your dad working for Beth Israel will help you much.</p>
<p>“Let me preface this by saying that your dad should not make his decision based on how it will affect your college chances.”</p>
<p>Yep, <em>I</em> know that, I created this thread more as a “set his mind at ease with other people’s opinions” (plan on sending him the link to this) than as a “help me make my dad’s decision for him” - type thing. </p>
<p>But thanks for the info! - I’m glad people’s opinions are more or less lining up perfectly.</p>
<p>I do not see how you can be considered low income enough to qualify for an almost free ride to Harvard. Having a father be the director of a cancer research laboratory does not sound like he is low income in comparison to my parents, who are both electronic assemblers. I got into Columbia and they gave me amazing financial aid; it all depends on your situation. Apply to both schools; it will not hurt at all.</p>
<p>Not free ride, but 10% of your income; our income is around $100,000. So no, not free ride at all, but a <em>lot</em> better than it might have been otherwise.</p>
<p>little galaxie, please forgive me for acting like a parent, but I’d like to suggest that you be a little more careful about sharing specific personal information on a public chat board. You’ve now identified to the world your father’s position and employer and annual salary, which I would guess he might not be that comfortable with.</p>
<p>P.S., I agree with the consensus that your father should not make his job choices on the basis of which might give you an advantage in getting in to Harvard (which is impossible to predict and is not, in any event, a very good way of choosing one’s job).</p>
<p>My impression is that H does a remarkable job of leveling the playing field for applicants from differing backgrounds.</p>
<p>little galaxie: I agree with cosar and suggest that you ask the moderators to delete this thread.</p>
<p>^ Such as “tokenadult”</p>
<p>EDIT: Or if you go to the main Harvard U. discussion page, scroll down and on the bottom right you will see 3 more moderators’ names</p>